Fisherman indicted for interfering with investigation

News Herald staff

Thursday

Aug 15, 2013 at 12:01 AMAug 15, 2013 at 5:57 PM

PANAMA CITY -- A Panama City man pleaded not guilty Thursday in federal court to a three-count indictment charging him with altering a GPS device and lying to investigators who were looking into his activities in an area of the Gulf of Mexico closed to fishing, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

PANAMA CITY -- A Panama City man pleaded not guilty Thursday in federal court to a three-count indictment charging him with altering a GPS device and lying to investigators who were looking into his activities in an area of the Gulf of Mexico closed to fishing, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Thomas Zachary Breeding, 29, is accused of altering a GPS unit on his boat to conceal his entry to the Edges Closed Area, a portion of the Gulf closed to fishing from January until May to protect spawning gag grouper.

He is also accused of lying to investigators with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) when he told them he had fished the protected waters accidently because of a defective GPS unit, and when he later told them he had not altered the device to conceal that his entry was intentional.

Breeding could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for alteration of objects to obstruct a federal investigation if he’s convicted. The two counts of making false statements carry a maximum sentence of five years. Each count also carries a potential fine up to $250,000.

Breeding’s trial was scheduled for October.

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